When Kala Gibson was 12 years old, he was already learning what it meant to be a banker. He had a paper route. He was making his own money and putting it in the bank, learning early about saving, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Then one day, he went to his neighborhood branch and found the doors closed. His mother told him there was another branch around the corner. But...

Dr. Sheila T. Gregory There are lives whose influence is so expansive that telling their story means telling the story of a city, a movement, and a nation. Dr. Karl Dwight Gregory, born March 26, 1931, stands among the most consequential yet understated figures in American public life. Economist, civil rights strategist, educator, institution builder, soldier, and global advocate, he dedicated his life to advancing justice through intellectual rigor, community...

Black business and government leaders across Metro Detroit were honored on Thursday, Aug. 28 during the Michigan Chronicle’s 2026 Young Gifted & Black celebration. The annual event honors a generation of leaders shaping the future of Southeast Michigan. Real Times Media President Cathy Nedd and WDIV host Jay Scott Smith served as the hosts Thursday evening at the Harmony Club in Paradise Valley downtown Detroit. The area has returned...

More than 60 years after he became a leading voice in the Detroit radio market, Jay Butler retired from WDET 101.9 FM radio on Aug. 2. “This is it,” Butler declared toward the end of his final broadcast. “Before I go, I need to say thank you to the people of Detroit. Thank you for accepting me… I was just a small-time country boy from Jackson, Tennessee. You took...

One of Southeast Michigan’s most influential philanthropic leaders is preparing to lead a new chapter in the region’s efforts to expand opportunity for children and families. Kylee Mitchell Wells, a longtime champion for equity and community investment in Detroit, has been named the inaugural chief executive officer of MoveUp Southeast Michigan, a newly established independent philanthropy created by Connie and Steve Ballmer to continue and expand more than a decade of investments across...